


you're so brilliant (i'll guard your heart)

by neoragodestiny



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-22 21:41:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11975592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neoragodestiny/pseuds/neoragodestiny
Summary: au. Jihoon wants to give Junhui as much love as he receives, and Junhui reminds Jihoon that love comes in all forms.





	you're so brilliant (i'll guard your heart)

**Author's Note:**

> a/n: I suck at summaries. Here’s the junhoon fic I promised (based on [this picture](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DB92JyjVYAA7ZOm.jpg)) now let me go roll about in my feels, they’re overflowing.  
> Title from the unwinding cable car by anberlin

Jihoon sighs for the umpteenth time as he stares at the numbers that are beginning to blur in front of him.

His phone buzzes in his pocket. He glances at it before answering it with another sigh. “I told you, I’m going to be late today,” he murmurs.

“And I said that’s fine,” the voice on the other end says simply, like negotiating with a child.

“So why are you calling me to nag me?” Jihoon sighs. The rest of his team is starting to look at him now. 

“Who says I’m calling you to nag you?” the voice is teasing.

“Junhui,” Jihoon deadpans.

A soft laugh. “Just tell this lady that I’m your boyfriend and I’m allowed into the building, please?”

“What?” Jihoon says before a lady comes on the line and asks him to confirm his name and employee number and then hanging up.

“What in the world?” Jihoon murmurs, as he stares at his phone, now returned to the homescreen showing Junhui’s smirk besides Jihoon’s hesitant smile. Junhui had put an arm around his shoulder while they were waiting for a dentist appointment, or something else mundane, and snapped the photo a mere second after Jihoon realised what was happening.

Jihoon had appropriately shoved at his shoulder after the event, but Junhui had grinned, kissed his cheek and been cheery all day, so of course Jihoon did something sappy like make it his phone background after that.

(Junhui’s smile when he found out was something Jihoon wished he could take a photo of, but he would never admit that.)

Jihoon just slides his phone back into his pocket and settles back to scanning the documents, the rest of his team ducking their heads down back to work.

The answer comes not a minute later, when someone knocks on the glass door of the meeting room they’re residing in. Junhui’s cheeky grin is something Jihoon would recognise anywhere.

“What…? What are you doing here?” Jihoon splutters as he opens the door.

“Delivering chicken and cola to my hardworking boyfriend, and his team?” Junhui says, lifting the bag of delicious smelling food.

Jihoon’s team immediately drops their papers and one looks like they’re about to cry from happiness as Junhui moves away from Jihoon’s hands and gaping expression to hand them the chicken and soft drink.

“Y-You - ” Jihoon splutters when Junhui finally steps back to smile at his boyfriend.

Junhui just beams and leans over to kiss his cheek. “Eat first, babe, thank me later,” he grins and steps up to the table, where the chicken is all laid out.

Jihoon watches as he helps pour out cola into mismatched mugs from the kitchen, and remembers something all too familiar.

 

_Two years ago_

Jihoon watches forlornly as another person gets up from their seat, having finished for the evening and heading home. Jihoon wants to go home, or to Junhui’s apartment and whine about this stupid assignment to his boyfriend.

He mutters a swear under his breath and turns back to his books. He has to get this finished; it’s due tomorrow and he feels bad for bailing on Junhui the last two nights for this stupid assignment.

He runs a hand through his hair, ignoring the faint murmur of sound coming from the other study section.

As the sound comes nearer though, Jihoon chances a glance up to see what all the commotion is about. Instead, he finds Junhui, dressed in several layers of warm clothing, scanning the rows of study desks. Everyone is staring at him, Jihoon included. He spots Jihoon a moment later and breaks into a bright smile.

“Hey,” he whispers as he slides into the seat beside Jihoon.

“What are you doing here?” Jihoon hisses, and then he sees Junhui is carrying a plastic bag. “And what is that?!”

Junhui just grins and puts it on the table beside him. “Food, because I know you never eat properly when you get stressed,” he says, pulling the plastic bag away to reveal a covered bowl of jjajangmyun.

“Oh my god,” Jihoon breathes, his stomach rumbling as if it hadn’t been trying to tell him to eat all day. “Seriously? You came all the way over here just to bring me food?”

He sounds incredulous, but it’s the only way he can cover how his heart is swooping in his chest.

“You’re my boyfriend, of course I would,” Junhui says, smiling warmly.

“Hey! No food allowed in here!” a sharp voice barks and Junhui jumps, guilty.

“Oops, I’ll have to give it to you later, babe,” Junhui chuckles, kissing Jihoon’s forehead before bowing in apology to the grumpy librarian and shuffling out.

Jihoon watches him leave for a moment, stunned into stillness, before he hurriedly packs all his things and follows after them.

Just outside the library entrance, Junhui is getting lectured by the librarian about how no food is allowed, his head bowed in apology. With a huff, the librarian goes back inside and Jihoon steps out from behind the tree he was hiding.

“Hey,” he murmurs and Junhui jumps a little in surprise.

“Oh, hey,” he breaks into a warm smile. “I was going to text you to come over when you were done,” he’s juggling his own messenger bag which has fallen off his shoulder while trying to put the bowl of noodles back into the plastic bag properly.

Jihoon steps over to help him and Junhui smiles warmly. Jihoon just lets go of the noodles to grab the back of his neck and pull him down for a kiss.

Junhui hums when they pull apart. “Well that was nice, but you haven’t even tried the noodles yet, they could be crap,” he grins at Jihoon.

Jihoon snorts in response. “I’m so hungry, it could taste like cardboard and I’d still eat it,” he answers, “besides, you brought it for me,” he ducks his head a little, “I’d eat it, even if it was shit,”

Junhui is grinning and Jihoon scowls instead of showing his pink cheeks, so he grabs Junhui’s hand and drags him to a nearby picnic table.

“C’mon let’s eat, I’m starving,”

“I figured you would be,” Junhui chuckles as he puts his bag down on the bench and starts taking the bowl out of the plastic, withdrawing the wooden chopsticks that came with it.

Jihoon is still standing beside him when Junhui turns to look at him. “Aren’t you going to sit and eat?” he asks.

Jihoon just pulls his face down to kiss him again. “Have to kiss you before I eat,” he says quickly before taking the bowl and sitting down at the picnic table.

Junhui grins widely and sits opposite him. “You can kiss me after you eat,” he says, happily watching Jihoon practically inhale the first giant mouthful of noodles.

Jihoon takes a long moment to bite off a mouthful and swallow. He points to his sauce covered mouth. “Really?” is all he says.

“Yeah, really,” Junhui smiles warmly. Jihoon stuffs his face with more noodles instead of looking at Junhui with pink cheeks and red ears.

Junhui knows anyway, and he just laughs softly, and tells Jihoon about an episode at the campus cafe he witnessed earlier that day as Jihoon eats and listens.

_end flashback_

 

Jihoon’s fingers curl into the material of Junhui’s jacket. It takes a moment for his boyfriend to turn away from pouring cola to look at Jihoon.

“How come you aren’t eating?” Junhui asks.

“Thank you,” is all Jihoon manages, voice a little choked up. The memory of that night during university is making him sentimental. They had only been going out a few months at that point, but Jihoon remembers it was that moment when he knew Junhui would be more than someone to be with during semester.

Junhui smiles, warm and sincere. “My pleasure, Jihoon,” he says. “Now come on, you have to eat if you want to get through all your data and prepare your report,”

Jihoon just nods and takes the piece of chicken and a mug of cola he’s given. Junhui is still hunched over the box, choosing a piece for himself, so it’s all too easy for Jihoon to lean over and kiss his cheek softly.

Junhui turns to look at him curiously, but Jihoon just bites his lip and takes his seat, pushing his data sheets away to bite into the piece of chicken hungrily. It tastes amazing. 

He watches as Junhui easily engages his team in casual conversation, something to break the tense, stressed atmosphere of before. And Junhui is the perfect gentleman, taking all the mugs to the kitchen, washing them himself, and then packing everything so that only the lingering smell of fried chicken is any indication he was even there, leaving them to work in peace.

“Your boyfriend is amazing,” one of the girls on Jihoon’s team gushes after Jihoon has walked him to the lift and sent him home, sneaking a kiss when he thinks no one is looking (they’re all looking).

Jihoon just coughs awkwardly instead of answering. “Well now you’ve all been fed, let’s get this done quickly so we can all go home,” he says.

 

For the first time in a long while, Jihoon is home first. He’s halfway in attempting to cook dinner (and wondering if his food is burning) when Junhui walks through the door.

There’s a certain slump to his shoulders that has Jihoon abandoning the wok and taking his bag from him as Junhui takes off his shoes.

“Are you okay?” Jihoon asks, a little awkward and unsure how to approach Junhui about this.

Junhui is the one who’s good at comforting. Jihoon keeps awkwardly trying to navigate some more reassuring actions, but Junhui always insists he’s comforted simply being beside Jihoon. Jihoon tries to be more affectionate in those times, and Junhui is always appreciative.

Junhui just sighs and latches onto Jihoon, arms coming around him easily. “Yeah, just a long day at work,” he murmurs. He’s just nestled his face into the crook of Jihoon’s neck when he says, “Were you cooking something? ‘Cause I think it’s burning,”

Jihoon squeaks and drops Junhui’s bag and rushes back to the stove and turning off the flame, but it’s too late, most of the food is already turning black. Jihoon pouts at the food, as if it will un-burn itself under his gaze.

Junhui laughs as he approaches Jihoon and the wok. “Here, let me,” he says, trying to take the spatula from Jihoon.

“No! You’ve have a long day, I can cook,” Jihoon says, frowning as he tries to figure out how he can salvage dinner. It’s not looking like there are many (any) options at this point.

Junhui just takes the spatula and kisses Jihoon’s temple. “It’s okay, I don’t mind cooking,” he says.

Jihoon sulks as he’s herded into the living room, while Junhui starts dinner again. He continues sulking even as he sorts through their laundry and starts a load.

Junhui brings over fried rice when Jihoon is in the middle of ironing out the millions of shirts they have (why do they both have to work in offices and need shirts every day?).

“Come eat, babe,” Junhui says as he flops onto the couch with the food, turning on the TV.

Jihoon turns off the iron and leaves the shirts to finish later, as Junhui hands him a plate of rice and pats the spot beside him on the couch.

He’s taken two mouthfuls before he notices Jihoon hasn’t started eating, staring at the food, lost in thought.

“You okay?” Junhui asks.

Jihoon just sighs a little, still staring at the food. Junhui gets the message easily, putting down his plate, taking Jihoon’s, putting it down as well and turning off the TV. Then he puts an arm around Jihoon, letting him curl against his side.

“What’s bothering you?” Junhui asks gently. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No!” Jihoon is quick to deny, jerking up from against Junhui’s side. 

“Then?” Junhui prompts and Jihoon deflates against him again. Junhui rubs slow circles on Jihoon’s arm as he waits.

“I don’t deserve you…” Jihoon mumbles in a tiny voice against Junhui’s shirt after a while.

Junhui shifts slightly to stare at him incredulously. “What? Why would you even say that?”

“Because - !” Jihoon sits back, whole expression sad and worried. “Because you’re doing everything! I can’t even cook for you when you’ve had a long day at work,”

“It’s just cooking, Jihoon,” Junhui says calmly. “It’s not that big a deal - ”

“But, but it’s not just cooking,” Jihoon runs a hand through his hair, frustrated. “You came and brought chicken when I was working late. And not just for me, for _my team_ as well. And you brought noodles that time in second year, and, and, you’re just…. You’re always giving, and I feel like I never give you anything in return,”

Junhui smiles and tugs him back to his chest. “You give me plenty, Jihoon, you just do it in different ways to me. That doesn’t make it unequal,” He strokes Jihoon’s hair, “I cooked today, but you did the laundry, and you were ironing too,”

“That’s not - ” Jihoon tries, but Junhui hushes him.

“As for the food thing, yeah, okay so you never brought me food late at night when I was working or studying late, but you were the one who asked everyone and their uncle for help when I had that visa issue. You’re the one who bought me a plane ticket back when my mum was sick and I couldn’t afford it. And I knew you were saving that money to buy a car you needed for work but you spent it on me instead, and just kept riding your bicycle for another three months until you could save it again.”

“That was just money though,” Jihoon murmurs. “I can’t even … comfort you when you’re sad, or be affectionate,”

“I told you, just because they’re different to the way I do things, doesn’t mean they’re not equal,” Junhui murmurs softly. “It doesn’t matter how much money it was or wasn’t, the point is that you were there for me when I needed help. It doesn’t matter that I kiss you more in public than you kiss me, the point is that we know each other’s feelings and choose to be with each other despite how we show it,” Junhui smiles, a little tired.

“If your feelings have changed though…” he trails off and Jihoon realises with a jolt that Junhui thinks Jihoon doesn’t love him anymore, when in fact it’s the opposite. Jihoon has never been more in love with a person.

“No, no, no, nooooo,” Jihoon flounders to console, arms flapping and everything. Junhui laughs, soft and melodic, the warmth curling in Jihoon’s stomach. Jihoon wants to talk about how Junhui is like his own personal sunshine, warm and comforting, but sometimes burning hot, like a heat Jihoon can’t dissipate.

“I love you,” Jihoon whispers instead. He kisses Junhui gently and Junhui happily reciprocates. They kiss leisurely for a while, familiar and comforting, an exchange of kisses and breathless words of affection on their couch.

They only stop when Jihoon’s stomach rumbles loudly and ruins the moment.

Junhui falls back with loud laughter. Jihoon goes pink. “We should eat,” Junhui says and Jihoon nods numbly. Junhui hands him his plate of fried rice and then takes his own, the two of them sharing smiles as the TV starts again and they eat in comfortable silence.

 

“I’m home!” Junhui calls out as he throws his keys in the bowl and toes off his shoes. The apartment is eerily quiet despite it being late Saturday morning.

“Jihoon?” he calls, because he can see Jihoon’s shoes on the floor, and his bag in the corner and his keys in the bowl, so Jihoon is home. His phone is on the kitchen bench too, meaning he’s somewhere in the apartment.

Junhui pokes his head into the bedroom, finding Jihoon lying on his back and hugging Junhui’s pillow. Even though his face is half hidden by the pillow, Junhui can tell he’s sulking.

He chuckles as he flops down beside his boyfriend. “What’s wrong?” he nudges Jihoon playfully. “Were you playing Overwatch with Seungcheol-hyung and get thrashed by some nerdy teenagers again?”

Jihoon makes an affronted sound, but falls silent and Junhui smiles. “You’re cute, even when you’re being a brat and sulking,” he says as he wraps his arms around Jihoon’s middle, pulling him closer.

“I wasn’t playing Overwatch,” Jihoon mumbles into the pillow.

Junhui noses at his neck. “Then?”

Jihoon goes pink and Junhui chuckles “I won’t judge, Jihoon, you know that,”

“Imissedyou,” Jihoon mumbles all too quickly. Junhui props himself up on an elbow.

“You’re mumbling,” he says.

Jihoon exhales, pouting. “I missed you,” he says, still mumbling but clearer this time.

Junhui breaks into the brightest grin. “And you’re sulking because of that?” he asks, smile playful as he pulls Jihoon closer.

“You were late today, coming back from the shops,” he grumbles, nudging Junhui slightly with a foot.

Junhui laughs, soft and breathless into the juncture of Jihoon’s neck. “You’re so cute,” he murmurs, kissing Jihoon’s rosy cheeks, each in turn.

“I am not,” Jihoon huffs.

“Yes you are,” Junhui peppers kisses all over his face. “You’re adorable and cute and I love you,”

Jihoon abandons the pillow to roll over and hug Junhui. “You’re insufferable, but I love you too,”

Junhui just grins. Jihoon kisses it away, and then settles down with his head tucked under Junhui’s chin. Junhui smiles and kisses his hair and holds him closer, happy and content.

He’s just starting to drift off when Jihoon suddenly rolls over him to get off the bed.

“Come baaaaack,” Junhui whines, flailing a bit to try and grab him around the waist and pull him back. But Jihoon doesn’t move from where he’s rummaging through the bedside drawer, before sitting at the edge, taking shaky breaths.

Junhui props himself on an elbow, worried. “Jihoon? Are you okay?” Junhui asks. Jihoon’s holding something, cupped between his two hands, but staring straight ahead and Junhui is mildly worried he’s about to start hyperventilating.

“Hoonie - ” Junhui reaches for his hands, and Jihoon jumps off the bed like he’s been shocked.

“You’re making me more nervous!” Jihoon squeaks, getting to his feet. Junhui sits up properly now.

“About what? Jihoon, what’s wrong?” Junhui moves to stand but Jihoon hurriedly waves his hands to get Junhui to stay, and that’s when Junhui sees it.

A little black velvet box in Jihoon’s hands.

“Jihoon…” Junhui murmurs, staring at it. Jihoon realises his mistake when he follows Junhui’s gaze. His shoulders slump, whole body deflating.

He sighs. “I can’t do anything right, can I?” Jihoon mutters. He heaves a big sigh again. “I had this whole speech planned, but I went right along and messed it up,”

“I guess the element of surprise is gone, so I may as well just ask, right?” Jihoon quirks a nervous smile and opens the box, showing the simple silver band inside. But before Jihoon can ask, or get down on one knee like he planned, Junhui stands suddenly.

Jihoon opens his mouth to ask, but Junhui just walks across the room, silent.

“Junhui…?” Jihoon’s nerves are chewing him up from the inside as Junhui shifts books on their bookshelf around. After several more tense moments of Junhui opening book after book, he finally opens one that… isn’t a book. Jihoon watches, wide-eyed, as Junhui opens a fake book with a little storage compartment inside.

And from it, he pulls out a small, velvet red box.

Junhui grins nervously when he glances at Jihoon, abandoning the ‘book’ and walking over to him to show him the box, and the silver band inside.

Jihoon nearly drops the ring box in his hand. Junhui…. Junhui had a ring box too. And a ring inside.

“I was going to ask you after your birthday dinner next week,” Junhui laughs a little, nervous.

Jihoon can’t stop staring at the ring. Junhui was going to ask him to marry him. Junhui… wanted to be with him as much as Jihoon wanted to be with Junhui.

“I…” Jihoon blinks, heart tumbling in his chest like it’s going through a wash cycle. Logical thought, Jihoon. Logical thought.

“I guess… I beat you to it?” Jihoon tries weakly.

Junhui laughs and Jihoon thinks he sees tears in his eyes too but it’s kind of hard to tell when his own vision is blurry. “I guess you did,” Junhui smiles and Jihoon smiles in return, a few tears escaping.

Junhui just cups his face gently and kisses him gently, before kissing the tears and his forehead and then his lips again. Jihoon kisses back, hands twisted in Junhui’s shirt, holding him close.

“So… that’s a yes, right?” he asks breathlessly when they pull apart.

Junhui chuckles and kisses his nose. “That’s a yes from me,” he grins, trying to imitate the judges on those talent shows that they always watch.

Jihoon smiles, eyes crinkling and kissing Junhui quickly. “And it’s a yes from me,” he whispers, before grinning, two smiles meeting in the quiet of their bedroom.

It’s a happy, languid exchange of kisses, whispered ‘I love yous’ and giddy grins. Jihoon thinks this is the happy kind of forever he couldn’t have even dreamed of.

Suddenly, Junhui breaks their kiss to squeal happily, wrap his arms around Jihoon’s waist and lift him off his feet for a moment. Jihoon squeaks, surprised, and Junhui laughs into his neck. He lands a big, sloppy kiss on Jihoon’s cheek and Jihoon goes pink.

“I can’t believe this is happening, I can’t believe you said yes,” Junhui says, in between peppering Jihoon’s face with kisses. “I’m so happy,”

“Me too,” Jihoon murmurs and Junhui just kisses him again.

“Want to put on your ring, _fiance_?” Junhui asks.

“Only if you put yours on too,” Jihoon smiles, and Junhui kisses him deeply before agreeing. 

As they put their hands side by side and examine their rings, Jihoon wonders how exactly they ended up choosing complementary rings despite trying to surprise each other.

Junhui intertwines their hands together and Jihoon turns to whisper an “I love you,” into Junhui’s ear, just for him to hear. Junhui smiles and kisses him.

“So,” Junhui smiles. “What now, husband-to-be?”

Jihoon goes pink at the words. Husband. He and Junhui were going to get married. They would be husbands. He really hopes he’s not dreaming.

“Well,” Jihoon coughs as he collects his thoughts, turning around in Junhui’s embrace. He laces his hands together at the back of Junhui’s neck, expression thoughtful. “We can go bother everyone we know and rub it in their faces?” Jihoon suggests, playful and cheeky.

Junhui laughs. “I like the sound of that,” he noses at Jihoon’s cheek. “Telling everyone you’re mine, forever,”

Jihoon blushes some more and grabs Junhui’s face to kiss him instead of answering him. Junhui is smiling when they pull apart, so Jihoon just kisses him again, and it takes them several moments to stop kissing and actually get back to the task at hand.

“So,” Jihoon licks his lips, and has to stop Junhui from kissing him again, “Who first? Soonyoung?”

“Definitely Soonyoung,” Junhui agrees, “he’s the one who pushed us together in the first place,”

“What if he’s busy?”

“Then that’s even better,” Junhui grins. “Can’t be nuisances if they’re expecting us,”

Jihoon laughs, loud and carefree. “I love you,”

Junhui’s gaze is warm as he regards Jihoon. “I love you too,”

They share a quick kiss before Jihoon takes Junhui’s hand and pulls him out of the room and the apartment, the rings on their hands twinkling in the sunlight.

 

(Soonyoung grumbles as he shuffles to the door in his slippers. He was having a nice dream, damnit! Who’s interrupting his precious nap time?

He opens his door to find Junhui and Jihoon standing there, both of them nearly jittery with excitement.

“What the fuck,” he states more than asks.

Jihoon smirks and glances at Junhui, who’s already looking at him, smirk on his face too, though their gazes are warm.

“If you two came here to be lovesick fools - ” Soonyoung mutters.

“Lovesick _engaged_ fools,” Junhui corrects smugly.

Soonyoung blinks twice, before his eyes widen. “What?”

Jihoon simply holds up his left hand and then Junhui does the same and Soonyoung sees the simple silver bands on their ring fingers.

“ _What?!_ ” Soonyoung shrieks.

Jihoon laughs and Junhui bends slightly to kiss Jihoon’s cheek. “We’re engaged, since about half an hour ago, and you’re the first person we told, so feel honoured,” Jihoon announces.

Soonyoung is still gaping as Junhui leans over, wraps an arm around Jihoon’s waist and picks him up, grinning up at him. Jihoon squawks, and flails a little before his arm settles around Junhui’s shoulders, so Soonyoung knows at least Jihoon hadn’t been expecting that.

“Well, I’m now going to go tell the whole world that this is my fiance, so if you’ll excuse us,” Junhui says and then promptly turns to leave. Jihoon laughs, head thrown back and arm still around Junhui’s shoulder, as he’s carried down the corridor.

“ _What the fuck?!_ ” Soonyoung yells down the corridor.)


End file.
